


rising as the sun (that never shines here)

by emrys (livingshitpost)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: 99 is an alpha arc bt there's no tag fr tht lsdjfs, Babysitting, Big Brothers, Bookish Boba Fett, Breakfast, Brotherly Affection, Couch Cuddles, Cuddling & Snuggling, Gen, Good Parent Jango Fett, Little Brothers, Mandalorian Jango Fett, Parent Jango Fett, Parent-Child Relationship, Platonic Cuddling, Pre-Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, Reading Aloud, Sleepiness, Sleepovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:13:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28576563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livingshitpost/pseuds/emrys
Summary: Alpha-99 is no one's son. And yet, he can't help seeing Jango as his father.
Relationships: 99 & Boba Fett, 99 & Boba Fett & Jango Fett, 99 & Jango Fett, Boba Fett & Jango Fett
Comments: 8
Kudos: 66





	rising as the sun (that never shines here)

_You want to make yourself useful? Watch Boba while I'm gone._

Jango said that nearly two weeks ago. 99 has the eight year old tucked under his arm now, reading a story about a brave young pilot in a soft voice. Rain patters on the window of the Fett residence, and the grey sea stretches out for miles. Boba watches the tiny waves, far below and beyond the platformed city. His eyelids slide slowly shut before he forces them open again.

"Think we should get you off to bed?" 99 asks gently.

Boba shakes his head, rubbing one eye. "Not sleepy."

"Oh, you're not?" 99 can't help smiling. "Look pretty sleepy to me."

"'M not," Boba insists. He adjusts himself, effectively slamming into 99's side, though the older of the two only laughs again. "Dad's supposed to come back today."

"Yeah, I know. But he'll understand if you're not up when he comes home."

"No. Not goin' to sleep."

99 sighs. He ruffles Boba's hair, earning a disgruntled noise. "Fine. Should I keep reading?"

"Mm-hm."

"Alright."

99's gentle voice continues, droning on with yawns dispersed intermittently throughout. Boba is a warm weight at his side, one arm draped across 99's middle. It's comforting; he does the same thing with his own batchmates.

* * *

Jango returns late in the night. He enters the apartment quietly, stripping himself of his armor and bodyglove and pulling on a loose-fitting cloth tunic and pants. 

Someone snores in the living room. His hair stands on end. Jango grabs a small vibroblade from his belt and creeps out to investigate.

Sitting on the couch is Boba, leaning against the Alpha ARC cadet with the stroke-slack face. A dimly-lit holobook sits beside the cadet. His cheek rests in Boba's dark curls. Jango sighs and sets the blade aside.

"K'olar, Bob'ika," Jango whispers, bringing his son into his arms. "Off to bed with you."

Boba mutters something incoherent under his breath, wrapping around Jango's neck and resting his head on his shoulder.

"I know, ad. I know. It's alright. Bedtime now."

Another soft hum. Boba lays down easily, clinging to the tattered tooka doll in his bed, and Jango covers him with a kiss to his forehead.

Now to attend to the other boy in his living room.

99 had slumped over in the time Jango had been gone, and now uses his arm as a pillow, sprawled out across half of the couch. He shivers in the cool darkness, a small, soft noise escaping him. He's sleeping peacefully, if a bit uncomfortably.

. . . Damn his own paternal instinct. Jango puts away the holobook, pulls the blanket draped over the back of the couch to cover the cadet's form, and gives him a pat on the shoulder.

"Jate'nuhoy, verd'ika."

* * *

Dishes clatter as people eat. Boba is talking nearby. Prime is prodding him with questions. Boba explains something enthusiastically, and Prime laughs. It's peaceful. 99 drifts in and out of consciousness for a bit, curling into himself. The blanket wrapped around him is soft and surprisingly warm. He stays there for a while. It's nice.

"But why's he still here?" Boba asks.

99 tenses. He's asking about _him._

Prime doesn't answer right away. "He did a good job watching you," he answers. "Figured he deserved a good night's rest. I'll send him back to his barracks once he wakes up."

99 lets out a long breath. They'll figure out he's awake sooner or later; better to leave now than be found out and scolded for overstaying his welcome. He sits up. His back pops loudly in several places. He turns to the table, and Boba and Prime are both looking at him. He forces his own gaze to the floor.

"Sorry," he murmurs, trying to put the blanket back over the back of the couch. "I should-"

"Hungry?"

99 freezes. Is he hungry? More importantly, _why is Prime asking?_

"I ate plenty last night," he answers flatly.

"It's morning now."

"I know, sir."

"Then have some breakfast."

Slowly, 99 turns to glance back at the table. There are empty plates before both Boba and Prime, but another sits at the table, untouched. There's a large breakfast ration and a small piece of fruit. And actual, real _milk._ The glass isn't big, but to a clone cadet, it looks like a goblet of pale blue nectar.

He can't exactly say no. He nods, sitting silently, and starts to nibble at his ration.

Prime and Boba continue to talk. Boba asks his father about his hunt, and Prime reluctantly tells the story of what happened. 99 isn't listening. He's focused on savoring the satisfied feeling in his stomach. He takes care not to let any milk dribble down the front of his shirt. The fruit intrigues him, but he leaves it for last.

"Corellian apple," Prime says when he finally picks it up. "Boba's favorite."

"Nuh-uh! Jogan fruits are better."

"Well they didn't have any jogans. And they're too sweet for me anyway."

"More for me, then!" Boba blows a raspberry. Prime snorts at his antics and musses his hair. Boba laughs as he swats the hand away.

99 bites into it tentatively. It's a bit of a struggle to keep from getting juice all over his hand once he breaks the skin, but he can see why Boba and Prime like them. It's sweet, with a satisfying crunch that gives easily between his teeth. He's in love with it before he even swallows.

"Never had fruit before," he murmurs once he's finished. He leaves the core on his plate, like Prime did. "Thank you, sir."

Prime shrugs. "You're too skinny — not getting enough to eat."

"Just built a bit longer." It's only half a lie; his arms and legs are certainly lengthier than the other cadets', though it's accentuated by the fact that he wears less muscle than the rest of them.

"Still. You're under my command, Alpha-99; I won't have it reflected that I don't take care of my troops."

"Yes, sir." 99 stands, gathering the plates and glasses to wash, and Prime lets him.

For a moment he pretends he's just a regular older brother, and it's his turn to do the dishes. He smiles and laughs under his breath as his ~~father~~ progen and little brother talk. So long as Prime doesn't know, he can't be mad.


End file.
